Directory-machine



W C. CUTLER.

DIRECTORY MACHINE APPLICATION FILIED JAN.9,1920.

. 1, 352,4 1 6. Patented Sept. 7, 1920.

ATTORNEY WILLIAM C. CUTLER, OF NORTH GLENDALE, CALIFORNIA.

DIRECTORY-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. "2', teen.

Application filed January 9, 1920. Serial No. 350,421.

This invention relates to devices displaying desired information when operated.

One object of this invention is to prevent a breaking of operating parts.

Another object is to prevent a sticking of the cards when moved, especially during the lifting and settling operations.

Another object is to provide means for eliminating or reducing any jerk caused from the outside to the operating mechanism before reaching the inside working mechanism of the device.

Another object is to provide catching -means and locking means on the foot lever to operate when the lever is jerked down or operated too forcefully or unnecessarily quick.

Another object is to provide cushions or shock-absorbing means between the outside and inner operating mechanism.

ther objects will appear from the following description and appended claims as well as from the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a vertical cross sectional view of the device.

Fig. 2 is an illustration to show how much closer the cards are liableto come when guided over onev roller instead of over a portion stretched between two guiding rollers.

Fig. 3 is an illustration of two cards hanging 011 an inclined base, especially when such cards are stored closely. I a

Fig. i is an illustration of two cards hanging on a horizontal base while having approximately the same distance between the centers of their supporting means as the supporting means in Fig. 3. I

Fig. 5 is an illustration in side elevation of the shock-absorbing means for the indicating mechanism.

Fig. 6 is a cross section through the foot operating levers illustrating the catching and locking mechanism for the levers.

Fig. 7 is a vertical cross section through a dash-pot, as a slight modification to the cushioning means for the indicating mechanism, in such a'case providing for a suitable extension of the turning shaft beyond the operating or checking gear.

Fig. 8 is a cross section of the daslrpot on line 88 of Fig. 7 a

Fig. 9 is a side elevation of the shock-absorbing means for the indicating mechanism in slightly modified form.

When operating and using a device of this kind, it is quite usual that a person is in a hurry to. get the. information, and, therefore, it is quiteusual that such a person operates or tries to operate sucha de-,

vice too quickly or quicker than is of advantage to such a device.

On the other hand, if the several parts of the device interlock rigidly so that, when one of the parts is operated another part cannot be operated until the first part has been allowed to come back to its normal position, this is liable to cause a breaking of the part operated during such interlocking.

One of the principal points in view is therefore to overcome any trouble along these lines. I I r v The base and main support of the device is a box or cabinet inclosing the majority of parts and leaving only the pedal-end of the foot lever and the operating part of the indicating mechanism outside of the cabinet. In theupper' front side of the cabinet there is an opening 8, normally provided with a glass closure or similar means allowing a displaying'of the cards. Just below the dis play-openingB, a suitable desk 9 is provi ded, preferred for tables and general index as explanation of and for the device. The indicating hand 10 is disposed at a suitable place in the desk 9. The hand 10 is mounted on a shaft lloutside of the cabinet, while the pinion 12 and the gear 13 are mounted on the same shaft 11 inside of the cabinet. A suitable space is provided between the pinion l2 and the gear 13 to allow for the fastening of the cable 14L, which is naturally wound around the shaft a suitable number of times for winding and unwinding in the two opposite directions besides being fastened t0 the shaft to prevent a slipping while so winding and unwinding. A rack 15 is provided so as to come into suitable engagement with the pinion 12, in Fig. 5 this arrangement between the rack. and pinion cation as long as the principle of cushioning the movement of the indicating mechanism is secured. The cable 14 is also wound around the large pulley or drum l8, see'Fig. 1, so that by a turning of the indicating hand 10 on the shaft 11, by winding and unwinding the cable on the shaft (or suitable drum' on the shaft 11), a turning of the drum 18 is also caused, as will easily be 7 understood without further explanation or illustration.

Two such drums 18 are naturally. provided on a common shaft '58 at opposite sides of the cabinet tov allow the cards 21 to hang between the drums. A band 19 is disposed over each of the drums 18, each of-the bands having projections 20, between which the cards hang with'their pin ends 22, the opposite bands being on drums Which are secured to a common shaft naturally assures that such bands with their projections remain opposite one another so as to insure a proper crosswise hanging of the cards within the:

cabinet parallel to the front displaying opening 8. r

Two rollers 23 are preferred for the top support for the band 19 so as to form a straight and practically horizontal portion 24 in this band 19. This is of advantage over other devicesinasmuch as the cards are spacedv more evenly and better than when only one roller is supporting the top end of the bands 19. In Figs. 2, 3 and 4 the difference is shown. between the handling of the cards overone roller compared with the handling of the cards over two rollers. The cards 21 being guided over one roller 25 as in Fig. 2 naturally come closer one to the otherthan as if guided over two rollers 23 as in Fig. 1. This is more obvious and becomes a serious matter manyv cards are mounted in the device on the bands, in such a case the cards are naturally closer than illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, coming more to appear like the illustration in Figs. 3 and 4, and, it will easily be understood that the cards mayeven be disposed closer than illus trated inthese two Figs. 3 and 4. The distance between the centers of the pins 26 of thecards 27 in Fig. 3 is supposed to be equal to the distance of the centers of the pins 28 of the cards 29 in Fig. 4. From the illustrations in Figs. 3 and 4 it will then easily be. clear that the cards hanging on an incline (that is when guided'over one roller) come closer one to the neXt one, than if; guidedover two rollers over the horithe cabinet toward the outside.

zontal stretch of the band between such two behind the opening 8 in the cabinet. These bands are mounted over the rollers 31 ona common shaft 33 with the rollers v32. Another band 35 is mounted over the rollers 32 and 34 and connected with a counter weight 36. The weight 36 is 'provided with a shoulder or projection 37, with which the bar '38 normally engages. To control the falling-of the counter weight 36, arod39 is connected with af dash-pot 40. The operating lever 41 con- 7 nects with the bar 38 and alsowith the dash= pot 42 by the connecting rod 43. A foot lever 44 engages yieldingly with the operating lever 41 by. the spring 46. Thefront end of the foot lever is provided with a pedal plate or portion 45, extending through Two jaw members 47 are preferably, but not necessarily, pivotally connected at 48 with the operating lever 41 hanging downwardly: sidewise beyond the foot lever, see also Fig. 6 in connection with this. These jaw members are provided with projections 51 inwardly below the foot lever forming inclined surfaces or shoulders 50. A suitable space 49 is left between the lower edge of the foot lever and the inclined shoulders50, so as not to cause a catching before it is de sired. Two strong blocks 52 areprovided sidewise of the jaw members as guiding members for the jaws, forming at the same time the catching and supporting stops for the lever arrangement. b

If the foot lever 44 is operated in a reasonably proper manner by its pedal, the spring will have tension enough to transmit such movement properly to the operating lever 41. On the other hand, however, if

the pedal 45 is jerked down too quickly or too forcefully, the spring 46 stretches before the dash-pot 42 allows any operating effect to the inner operating mechanism, and on further pressing'of this kind the spring stretches enoughv to bring the foot lever 44;

against the inclined shoulders 50 whereby the aw members are pressed toward the blocks 52, interlocking the whole device against further action from the outside.

Such inter-engaging easily disengages as soon as the pressure or operation from the outside is discontinued, and the mechanism can then again easily be operated in a proper manner. The foot lever connects also with a locking mechanism'57 through the rods 53 and 56 for locking the gear 13.

against turning, while the foot'lever is operated. A sliding and yielding means 54 and 55 is inserted betweentherods 53 and 56.

As a slight modification to the dash-pot mechanism in Fig. 5, the mechanism in Figs. 7 and is illustrated. The shaft 11 of the indicating mechanism is extended to a suitable extent to reach into a dash pot 59. The stationary partition 60 is provided with a suitably sized overflow opening 61. The shaft extension is provided with a wing or valve 62 to swing or rotate within the dash pot around the shaft 11. Naturally the shaft cannot be turned more than from one side to the other of the stationary partition 60, that is nearly a full turn. With this construction,

the indicating hand 10 can only be turned or moved as fast as the small opening 61 allows the liquid to overflow from one side of the partition to the other side, as will easily be understood.-

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a directory device of the class described, resilient means provided between the outwardly projecting foot pedal and a member of the inner mechanism so as to allow a slow following of such member of the inner mechanism when the foot pedal is operated quickly, and locking means operatively disposed in relatlon to the same foot pedal and the same inner member so as to lock the foot pedal when the resilient means is overstrained by moving the foot pedal too quickly away from the said inner member.

2. In a directory device of the class described, in combination with the outwardly projecting foot pedal and a member of the inner operating mechanism, a resilient means forming the connecting member between the said pedal and the said inner member, and locking means engaged at one end to one of the said members and projecting with the free end toward and near the other member, the locking means having engaging means near the free end for engaging and locking the foot pedal when the foot pedal is moved too quickly in relation to the other member.

3. In a directory device of the class described, in combination with the outwardly projecting foot pedal and a member of the inner operating mechanism, a spring disposed between the said pedal and said inner membe forming the connecting member between the two members for allowing the one member (that is normally the pedal) to be operated more quickly than the other member, locking members pivotally engaged to the inner member extending with their free ends past the pedal and having beveled faces at a point near the pedal for engaging with the pedal when the pedal is operated more quickly than the other member can follow, and bl cks sidewise of the several members so that the pedal with the locking members can move in an up and downward direction between the blocks when properly operated adapted to engage the locking members when the pedal is operated quickly in such a manner that the pedal comes to engage between the beveled faces of the locking membersfor locking the pedal and locking members.

Lln a directory device of the class described in combination with cards and suppor ing bands for the cards near both ends of the cards, two-supporting rollers below each of the said bands on each side of the cards spaced to form apractically horizon tal portion in the bands at a point where one of the cards is to be taken from the bands, and other supporting rollers for the bands arranged a suitable distance below and sidewise of the first-named rollers so as to continue the bands from the horizontal portion downwardly in an inclined direction for storing the cards more closely side wise from the point where the cards have to be spaced for lifting and moving purposes.

5. In a directory device of the class described, a series of cards, supporting bands for the cards, two supporting rollers for the bands spaced to form a practically horizontal portion in the bands at a point where one of the cards is to be taken fromthe bands, other supporting rollers for the bands arranged a suitable distance below and sidewise of the first-named rollers so as to continue the bands from the horizontal portion downwardly for storing the cards more closely sidewise from the point where the cards have to be spaced for lifting purposes, indicating means on the outside of the device, means operative by the indicating means to move any one of the cards to a selective position on the horizontal portion of the bands, cushioning means between the indicating means and the inner operating means, a foot pedal extending outwardly, inner operating means to move the selected card out of said selective position away from the other cards, resilent means between the foot lever or pedal and the inner operating means, so as to allow a slow following of the inner mechanism when the outer pedal is operated quickly, and a locking means in operative position between 'thefoot pedal bands arranged a suitable distance below and sidcwise of the first-named rollers so as to continue the bands from the horlzontal portion downwardly for storing the cards more closely sidewise from the point where the cards have to be spaced for lifting purposes, indicating means on the outside of the device, means operative by the indicating'means on the outside to move any one of the cards to a selective position on the horizontal portion of the bands, cushioning means between the indicating means on the outside and the inner operating means, a foot pedal extending outwardly, inner operating means to move the selected card out of said selective position away from theother cards, resilient means between the foot pedal and the inner operating means, so as to allow a slow following of the inner mechanism when the outer pedal is operated quickly, locking means for the foot pedal when improperly operated, and locking means between the indi cating means and the foot pedal to lock the WILLIAM C. CUTLER Witnessesz J. B. TABQM, Gno. H. HINGHMAN. 

